


Found Family

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22030672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: For CrazyMaryT
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Found Family

**Author's Note:**

> For CrazyMaryT

‘That is way too expensive,’ Kent said.

Meghan put her chin in her hands. ‘Dad, you get what you pay for.’

‘Well, I’m not paying for this,’ he said, and kissed her forehead as he stood up.

She stood up and trailed after him as he left his study and headed to the kitchen. ‘But dad _dy_ …’

‘Nope,’ he said, over his shoulder. ‘And kindly do not bat your eyelashes at me.’

‘How would you know?’ she grumbled. ‘I’m standing behind you.’

‘I’m your father. I always know.’

Meghan pushed herself up onto a kitchen counter and watched him taking the components for dinner out. ‘Are you embarrassed or something?’

Kent shot her a look. ‘I’m only embarrassed that a daughter of mine would see fit to plant her butt on the counter. Nobody wants your butt germs on their dishes.’

‘You wouldn’t have to do all the cooking and cleaning by yourself if you –’

‘If _you_ did your chores as agreed I wouldn’t be cooking dinner and if you didn’t treat kitchen counters like your bed than I wouldn’t need to wipe that counter down again.’

Meghan rolled her eyes as she slid down. ‘It’s not even that expensive.’ She grabbed the cloth and cleaning spray that he held out and cleaned the counter.’

‘Anything that is bought purely on a whim for no particular reason is too expensive,’ Kent said.

‘It’s for a reason!’

Kent let out a breath. ‘The big sister people –’

Meghan groaned. ‘I don’t want a big sister. And no, I don’t want to talk to Aunt Jane, or Joyce, or Sue, or Marjorie or anyone else.’

Kent was quite for a couple of seconds. ‘Amy –’

‘This isn’t about me,’ Meghan said firmly. ‘I’m _eleven_ , Dad. I’m not going to be here to look after you forever.’

He snorted a laugh. ‘Excuse me? You look after me?’

She folded her arms. ‘If it wasn’t for me you would never go to the doctor!’

Kent tilted his head. ‘I’m not signing up to a dating app.’

‘Then go out and meet ladies! Do whatever old people do to meet ladies! Go wander around the store or… hang out in the library complaining about damn young people. But please meet a nice lady.’

Kent pursed his lips. ‘I’ll think about it.’

Meghan groaned. ‘If you mean no then just say no.’

Kent shrugged. ‘Okay, no.’

‘Dad!’

***

Meghan regarded the Christmas tree critically. ‘I guess it’s okay.’

‘Then my life is complete,’ Ken said dryly.

Meghan rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll buy some more ornaments from the store.’

‘Since when are you going into town?’ Kent asked.

‘You said that I could,’ she protested.

‘ _If_ you finished your homework.’

Meghan opened and closed her mouth. ‘Uh, two minutes!’

‘Your homework is more important than the shopping!’ Kent called after her.

‘No, it’s not!’ she yelled back.

Kent shook his head and went to make a coffee. Two minutes was inevitably fifteen at best. He took a few minutes in the kitchen to quietly reorient himself. There was something oddly pleasing about hearing Meghan clomping around in her room. All was right with the world.

Until someone knocked at the door. Kent frowned and checked the family planner on the wall. Perhaps Meghan had arranged for someone to take her to town and hadn’t mentioned it to him? The first part was very believable. The second part less so.

He saw the SUV through the window before he reached the door. He wished that she wouldn’t bring the dogs with her. They always made the most dreadful noise and ended up disturbing his stock.

‘Hello Amy,’ he said, opening the door. ‘Bill. To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘How did you know it was us?’ Bill demanded.

‘Your car is parked outside.’

Amy nudged Bill with her elbow and then raised two carrier bags. ‘We were just passing. I thought we might as well drop these off.’

‘We’re going to be spending Christmas in Aspen,’ Bill said.

‘How very 80s of you,’ Kent said dryly, stepping aside to let Amy enter the farmhouse.

‘We’re not staying long,’ Bill said, more to Amy than Kent.

Kent tucked his hands in his pockets. ‘I think I’m about to be conscripted into driving into town.’

‘Can’t she ride her bike or something?’ Bill asked. ‘Isn’t that what children do in these ridiculous little country places?’

Amy rolled her eyes. ‘It’s fifteen miles.’

‘So, it’ll take her what… forty-minutes?’

Kent looked at the ceiling. ‘Evidently you’ve never ridden a bike.’

Amy carried the bags over to the tree. ‘These are just a few little things.’

‘You didn’t have to do that,’ Kent said gently.

‘I told her that,’ Bill grumbled.

‘They’re nothing,’ Amy said. ‘You’re doing me a favour taking them off my hands.’

Kent rubbed his forehead. ‘She’s upstairs. Do you want to…’

Amy waved her hand. ‘Absolutely not, she doesn’t want yet another one of her boring dad’s weird friends hanging around. I bet she’s sick of Joyce and Sue hanging around. Plus, you probably have… women. You always seemed to be fighting women off.’

‘Baffling,’ Bill said.

‘Meghan’s my priority,’ Kent said easily. ‘Dating isn’t.’

They heard movement upstairs. Bill looked at his watch. Amy stared at the ceiling a beat longer than Bill and Kent. Then she cleared her throat.

‘Enjoy your driving around,’ Amy said, setting her shoulders. ‘Come on, Bill. We can’t stand around all day. The dogs will be getting restive.’

Bill scowled as he stamped out of the farmhouse after Amy. Kent watched them drive away and then went upstairs.

He tapped on Meghan’s door before opening it. She was at her desk, bright blue eyes fixed on her tablet.

‘How’s the homework going?’

‘Nearly finished,’ she said.

‘They’ve gone.’

‘Huh?’ She tore her attention away from the tablet and looked at him over her shoulder. ‘Oh.’

‘You could’ve come down and said hello,’ Kent suggested.

Meghan looked baffled. ‘Why? Bill’s _horrible_.’

Kent nodded. ‘Amy brought presents.’

Meghan harrumphed and turned her attention back to her tablet. ‘There’s probably another personal organiser,’ she said, her tone dripping with disgust.

Kent walked over, picked up a cushion, and swatted her on the legs with it. ‘You _use_ the personal organiser she gave you. I can see it on your bed right now.’

She groaned. ‘But it’s so ugly!’

Kent sat down next to her. ‘It’s nice of her to think of you.’

Meghan looked across at him. ‘Come on, Dad, don’t be weird. She’s not my mom. Douchey McButtFace isn’t my dad. They’re just like… donors. I already have a dad and I don’t need a mom.’

‘Still mad he called you Mary?’

She pulled a face. ‘Even _Ben_ remembers my name.’

Kent pursed his lips. ‘Why were you pressuring me to date?’

Meghan looked back at her tablet. ‘Because some people are happy on their own and some people aren’t and you aren’t. You need someone to look after.’ Her voice dropped. ‘You’re lonely and I don’t want you to be.’

Kent rubbed her back. ‘I’m okay.’

‘I don’t want you to be “okay,” I want you to be _happy_.’ She glanced at him very quickly. ‘So, go on a date already!’

The End.


End file.
